What began as a fun afternoon of pretend for my five grandchildren quickly transformed into something quite different. Though Jolie gives her older cousin a run for her money, Kaeli is definitely the bossiest of the crew, which is pretty typical of the oldest child. One of the two came up with the bright idea to play "McDonald's," the ONLY restaurant children EVER want to go to!

Being the administrator in training that she is (at age 8), Kaeli began to make role play assignments for all the other children. She was to be a mother, and her 3 year old cousin, Talon, would be her child. Jolie was to be a mother as well, and Kaeli's brother, Kaden, would be her child. This left Gavin to be the only worker at their pretend drive-up window, which he was more than happy to do, of course; but this sent Kaden into a tailspin! He and Gavin were the same age, so there was no way he was going to be a child with Gavin getting to be the worker at the drive-up window! He stomped off in a scowling, pouting huff, complaining loudly enough for everyone to know that he was not happy one bit. More heated conversation transpired, but Kaden continued to insist that things were going to be his way or no way at all.

"Gram, Kaden's being ugly!" The girls were quick to inform me of his behavior, which they considered unacceptable attempts to manipulate the situation to his advantage, so it became necessary for good ‘ol Gram to intervene. I called a tearful Kaden over to me, loved on him a bit, and encouraged him to cooperate with their plan, taking his turn as a child and then maybe he could be the worker. "Yeah," he said, and, with an approving grunt, he made his way back to the play area. Giving myself a pat on the back for the excellent way I had handled the situation, I returned to my comfortable chair, assured that all was well once again. My sense of accomplishment was short-lived.

Kaden may have resolved cooperation at point A, but, by the time he reached point B, he had changed the plan completely! Instead of pouting to manipulate the situation, he was trying a new approach - the old "God told me" move. He hesitated only moments before informing the others that he was not going to pretend to be Jolie's child, he was going to be a worker! This was met with another rumble of disapproval from the girls, so he pulled out his new move. "God, God, God" . . . he stuttered and took a deep breath (was it going to work?) "God told me" . . . he took another deep breath (will they believe me?) "God told me to be" . . . he took another deep breath as if to give his plan one last consideration before charging in. "God told me to be a worker!" he finally shouted out. There, he had said it! No way was he going to be a child when GOD had told him to be a worker! They couldn't argue with that! Surely they wouldn't!

Well, they did. Both girls responded in total disbelief and exasperation, "God did not say that!" I laughed at the sight of a 5 year old using the "God told me" move, but the children's argument escalated from there, so I quickly decided it was time for a nap! You bet I played the "nap" card! I'm no dummy!

As always, God didn't fail to use this situation to hammer home a reality lesson of truth. As I watched the "McDonald's" fiasco unfold before my eyes, I was suddenly confronted with a painful revelation. Sometimes we are less than cooperative with God's plan for our life, and we will even attempt to use the "God told me" move in order to justify our choice, knowing in our heart that He didn't say that at all. We don't want to be what God wants us to be or do what He calls us to do, so we adamantly refuse and stomp away in a huff, or we half-heartedly go along with His plan, complaining and pouting the whole way. As a result, we rob ourselves of inner peace and the joy that comes when we cooperate fully with God and walk in the way He has planned for us. He makes the assignments. He draws the blue plans. He creates the purpose. He sends out the call. And we answer with, "I don't want to do that!" Moses did it when God called him to lead the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. His excuses were varied, but the underlying message remained the same throughout his encounter with God: "But I don't want to do that, God!"

Apparently Paul was confronted with this same issue as he dealt with the Christians at Ephesus and at Corinth, a confrontation that prompted these words found in I Corinthians 12, "Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, ‘I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,' that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, ‘I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,' would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, ‘I don't need you.' The head can't say to the feet, ‘I don't need you.' All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it." (verses 14-21, 27)

Paul's words point out the obvious - that God created each of us with our own unique gifting and purpose; and, if we will walk in that purpose, our life will be complete, the lives of others will be blessed, and the church will be fully functional, not lacking anything! Bottom-line, we need each other! If you refuse to be you for Christ, who will be you? Is your church lacking because you have refused to step into the role God has assigned you to fill? Does your life feel incomplete because you continue to seek another assignment, unwilling to be at peace in the one you've been given? Let's agree together to be content in the assignments God gives us, acknowledging His wisdom in all things. Let's lay aside the "my way or no way" thinking and walk in HIS way.